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University of Massachusetts, Boston College of Management

MGT 330 Business, Environment and Public Policy

Course Syllabus: Spring 2015

Instructor: Professor Janice Goldman

Office: McCormack, Level 3, office 201H Phone: (617) 287 7784 Email: Janice.Goldman@umb.edu Office hours: 11:00AM-12Noon Tuesday/Thursday and by appointment Course website: Blackboard

Class Time and Location

Section 2 Tuesday/Thursday 2:00PM – 3:15PM Classroom: Healey H 04-0031

Course Materials

Required

Textbook: Goldsmith, Arthur, Business, Government, and Society: The Global Political Economy, Cengage Learning, 2006. ISBN 13-978-1-111-46741-2 / ISBN 10-1-111-46741-2

ISBN 978-0-07-802947-9 (is bounded)

Supplementary Materials are posted on WebCT/Blackboard. There will be additional readings for some of the classes. I will communicate with the class via WebCT/Blackboard, so please check your xxx@umb.edu e-mail account regularly, or else forward it to your regular e-mail account. Also please check the Discussion Board for news articles and comments that I will post.

Required: sign up for a New York Times account. This entitles you to free access to 10 articles per month. You will be required to read and write a blog about two newspaper articles, of your choice, per month. This counts toward your class participation grade.

You are encouraged to read either the Washington Post, New York Times, Boston Globe, Slate.com, Economist, the Guardian

Required for Team Paper Research

The library has very useful management databases, including Business Source Premier and Lexus/Nexus. These resources will help you to get more information than just doing a Google search. They are

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available over the internet, on or off-campus (with your UMB ID) 24 hours a day: http://www.lib.umb.edu/ Finally, writing resources are available at: http://www.umb.edu/academics/undergraduate/office/wpr/links.html

Course Description

This course addresses the relationship businesses have with their regulatory, economic, social, and natural environments with a focus on public policy processes in the US. The course emphasizes the interrelations of these environments, the global context and the issues and challenges of responsibility to stakeholders. Current events and real cases are used to elicit analysis and generate informed views and pragmatic positions on contemporary issues such as climate change, economic inequality, electoral politics, sustainable development, corporate social responsibility and so forth. The course is organized according to the following underlying principles: • Inter-disciplinarity: The module draws from various disciplines (e.g., political science, economics, development studies, ethics) showing how the environments of business are interrelated and interdependent. • Inspiration: The module aims to inspire students to look beyond conventional answers to contemporary business problems considering options and nuances. • Interactivity/dialogue: The course aims to foster interactions between faculty and all students to create an empowering learning community and to foster position-taking exercises, considering all stakeholders’ needs and viewpoints. • Flexibility: The course is open for change. The curriculum is reviewed on an annual basis to accommodate recent developments and trends. Accommodations are made to address issues that may unfold during the semester.

Learning Objectives

To provide you with an integrative, analytical and critically aware introduction to:

The complex, real world issues affecting business in a global context

The changing relationship between business, government and civil society in the US

The role and responsibilities of business, government and civil society organizations in shaping current public policy

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To provide you with an understanding of the economic and political arguments concerning the inter-relationship between government and markets. To enhance your analytic and communication skills:

To analyze and reflect on complex problems with no ‘right answer’

To account for the local, hands on details of an issue as well as the big picture, in developing analysis and positions

To produce written work that is clear and concise, has well-structured arguments and is supported with logic and a clearly stated evidence

To improve written, oral and interpersonal communication skills about issues pertaining to business environments and public policy

To provide you with Team and Paired Learning Settings in the Classroom

Paired discussion of newspaper articles , where you explain the main point and your position on the issue

Group Work – you will read and discuss a major issue – such as the global supply chain for the i-Phone

Team Paper – you will work together on an issue that you are passionate about – defining the

Course Format and Requirements

The course combines lectures, class discussion, film, case studies and reading the newspaper

You are expected to read the assigned materials prior to the beginning of the class on the specified date. Familiarity with the materials will make class discussions both more effective and more interesting for you.

Attendance: You are expected to attend all sessions; it is critical to creating a community of learning! Please inform me in advance if you will be absent from class. More than 3 excused absences will affect your final grade.

Participation: Remember that much of the learning in this course takes place during class discussions, and that 20% of your grade is based on your participation.

Readings

Please read the assigned materials prior to each class. The role of readings is to prepare you for class and to provide some of the resources you will need for assignments. As you complete each reading, ask yourself the following questions:

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Do I understand the theory and/or principles of this material?

So what? What are the implications?

Assignment Deadlines

Assignments are due on the date scheduled. Extensions will not be granted.

Analytic Skills and Writing Standards

The course aims to develop students’ skills in critical and analytic thinking. Assignments will require that students apply theory to case studies and newspaper articles, undertake research using both library and electronic sources, develop written and oral communication skills, and collaborate in small group exercises.

This course aims to help you develop your writing skills. The written assignments have a clear structure you must follow. Please also use academic & professional style of writing (depending on the assignment) by excluding colloquialisms and vernacular syntax and lexicon Do check spelling and grammar prior to submission! Please seek the support and advice of the writing tutors at the University and the general guidance on writing available at: http://www.umb.edu/academics/cm/student_resources/ and http://www.umb.edu/academics/undergraduate/office/wpr/links.html.

Academic Standards, Plagiarism, and Cheating

PLAGIARISM WILL NOT BE TOLERATED, AND PLAGIARISM-DETECTION SOFTWARE IS IN USE

FOR THIS COURSE. PENALTIES ARE SEVERE – BELIEVE ME, IT’S NOT WORTH IT What is plagiarism? Plagiarism means copying sentences from the work of others (e.g. from the

internet, newspapers, texts, other places, or other students) without giving credit to the original author. If you want to use someone’s work, you must cite the author. For example, if you use a phrase to emphasize a point, put it in “quotation” marks and write the name of the author and date of their work in brackets (e.g. (Haigh, 2011)). Note that it is unacceptable to copy and paste large blocks of text into your papers, even if you cite a source. It is also unacceptable to copy large sections and make minor editing changes. In other words, your assignments need to be your own work, written in your own words. Use sources to reference facts, ideas, and specific quotes taken from elsewhere.

You are required to adhere to the University Policy on Academic Standards and Cheating, University Statement on Plagiarism and the Documentation of Written Work, and to the Code of Student Conduct, available online at http://www.umb.edu/student_services/student_rights/code_conduct.html. If you are caught plagiarizing or otherwise cheating you will, at my discretion, fail either the assignment in question or the entire course, and you will definitely have a description of the incident written into your academic record.

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How to Cite Other People’s Work

Use any style that includes brief (author, year) references in the body of the text, and a full citation in a reference list at the end of the paper. Here are three examples of how you could cite an author within the body of your paper:

As Levy (1997) put it, “the relationship between business and society is essentially political.”

Levy (1997) argued that business and society share a political relationship.

Business and society share a political relationship (Levy, 1997).

How to Include Other People’s Work in your Reference List

Below is an example reference list showing how the readings in this course should be listed at the end of your papers and reports using the APA style:

References Baker, H. K., & Anderson, R. (Eds.). (2010). Corporate Governance: A Synthesis of Theory, Research, and

Practice. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. Bapuji, H., & Beamish, P. (2008). Mattel and the Toy Recalls: Case A. London, Ontario: Ivey Management

Services. Bazerman, M. H., & Tenbrunsel, A. E. (2011). 'Ethical Breakdowns'. Harvard Business Review(April), 58-

65. Boyd, B., Henning, N., Reyna, E., Wang, D. E., & Welch, M. D. (2009). Hybrid Organizations: New Business

Models for Environmental Leadership. Sheffield: Greenleaf Publishing. Driscoll, C., & Starik, M. (2004). 'The primordial stakeholder: Advancing the conceptual consideration of

stakeholder status for the natural environment'. Journal of Business Ethics, 49(1), 55-73. Ewart, T., & Bansal, T. (2004). Mearl Oil Company: Environmental Impact Targets. London, Ontario: Ivey

Management Services. Goldsmith, A. (2007). Business, Government, Society: The Global Political Economy (3rd ed.). Boston:

Arthur A. Goldsmith. Porter, M. E., & Kramer, M. R. (2006). 'Strategy and society: The link between competitive advantage

and corporate social responsibility'. Harvard Business Review. Seijts, J., & Bigio, B. (2011). Nestlé: A Social Media Nightmare: Richard Ivey School of Business. Stead, J. G., & Stead, W. E. (2009). Management for a Small Planet. Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharp. Stiglitz, J. E. (2003). Globalization and its Discontents. New York: W. W. Norton & Company. Watts, D. (2009). 'Too big to fail? How about too big to exist?'. Harvard Business Review(June), 16.

Some students have found http://www.bibme.org/ helps to organize references and citations, and

you are welcome to use this (or other) referencing software. Another option is Endnote Web, which is available to anyone with a library barcode. https://www-myendnoteweb com.ezproxy.lib.umb.edu/EndNoteWeb.html?SID=3ADo2oAKbeFFiDk%403gD&returnCode=ROUTER.Success&SrcApp=CR&Init=Yes

Students with Disabilities

If you have a disability you need accommodated, please let me know at your earliest convenience. Some aspects of the course, the assignments, and the in-class activities may be modified to facilitate

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your participation and progress. As soon as you make me aware of your needs, we can work with the Ross Center for Disability Services (http://www.rosscenter.umb.edu/, M-1-401, (617) 287-7430) to help us determine appropriate action. I will treat information you provide as private and confidential.

Assignments and Grading Structure

Assessment % of total grade

Participation: Attendance, Group Work 20

Quizzes 10

Blogs 15

Reflection Paper 5

Paper 1 15

Paper II Team Presentation

25 10

TOTAL 100

Each assignment is described in detail below. Don’t throw easy points away. Complete all your

assignments.

New York Times or Wall Street Journal or Washington Post– Sign up for on-line access. Throughout the semester we will be discussing current events as they relate to the course; please read the major national and international news in one of these two national newspapers 2-3 times a week, to stay current with the news we’ll be discussing.

Participation Grade (20%)

This seminar requires the active and informed participation of all of the students. Class attendance is required, and you may not miss more than unexcused three classes. While we will not have enough time in class to discuss all aspects of the assigned readings and movies, class discussions play a key role in helping you transform your reading and viewing into learning that is meaningful for you and others. My hope in this class is to create an environment where you gain the experience of directing your own learning, and contributing to the learning of others, both in the classroom and in the larger university and outside community.

You are encouraged to participate in many ways, such as advancing the discussion by commenting on what someone says, taking the discussion in an insightful or new direction, illustrating with an example, making a connection to class readings, and bringing in current news events and your experiences that relate to the current material, etc. You are also encouraged to post articles that interest you, that relate to any social issue of interest. As you will see, companies, non-profits and individuals can set examples of leading positive change in society. They can set negative examples as well, requiring a critical analysis and developing positive alternative policy solutions.

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Guidelines for participation: 1. Read the assigned materials prior to class. Familiarity with the materials will make class

discussions both more effective and more interesting for you.

2. Be courteous. Come on time and do not leave early. Do not interrupt or engage in private conversations while others are speaking. It is also disrespectful to your classmates to surf the web unnecessarily or check your email during class.

3. Have an opinion and respect others’ rights to hold opinions and beliefs that differ from your own. There are many different possible lenses for interpreting the material in this class.

4. Allow everyone the chance to talk.

5. Speak your truth – engage in an honest discussion of the material with all of us in the class

Requirements of the Participation Grade Class Attendance Attend Class. More than 3 unexcused absences will lower your grade Come prepared, having read material and completed assignments Make informed, relevant comments based on your knowledge of the material.

Read the Newspaper Sign up for an on-line newspaper: New York Times, Boston Globe, Wall Street

Journal Read the newspaper, make it a habit!

Small Group Exercises Read and fully participate in the small group discussion (Apple global supply chain, Income

Inequality Discussion) Create and complete Group questionnaire

Requirements of the Quiz Grade (10%) Chapter Quiz

Complete the chapter quiz ; a way to review the material in the chapter Questions are True/False and Multiple Choice

Requirements of the Blogging Grade (25%) Blog Assignments

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Blogging: Write a blog about an assigned film or an assigned article. Questions will be provided for each blog. There will be an end date for submission. Blogs are expected to be 250-300 words unless otherwise indicated.

Reflection Paper (5%)

This assignment is a one page reflection on what you have learned from the Paper 1 Team assignment. A set of questions will be posted in a blog format for you to answer in 250-300 words. This is to be written as an essay; grammar and writing is an important component.

Team Paper

This paper will be produced in two submissions. Paper 1 is 4 - 6 pages and is worth 15% of your

grade. Paper 2 is 10-12 pages and is worth 25% of your grade. Your team will self-select by topic, with 4 members in a team. I want you to feel passionate about the topic you have selected, AND the framework you choose to write from. Below are three types of analysis you may choose to write:

Journalist – the journalist point of view is an objective analysis of the issue, and includes a factual

reporting of the topic, an analysis of all stakeholder positions, a description of the methods used by the key stakeholders to promote a policy or strategy. The paper should be both factual and analytic. You must take a position on the issue at the end. You must reflect on how you think the issue, or the resolution will play out several years from now, one decade from now. Are there unresolved questions that we as a society must wrestle with? Is there a government policy solution or a market solution that you would prefer after you have studied all of this? Proofread your work (or have someone do it for you). Check spelling, grammar, layout, coherence, sentence and paragraph structure, and logical flow of argument.

Corporate Executive/Consultant – This is a business report. Use self-explanatory headings and sub-

headings throughout, use short paragraphs and sentences, and use graphs, tables and annotations where necessary. You may be evaluation short and long term strategies, liabilities and profits, the pros and cons. Support all your arguments and recommendations with relevant literature and/or analysis.

The report is to be written for an executive audience. Use professional language, highlight key points in an executive summary, be thorough in your analysis, justify your recommendations. Proofread your work (or have someone do it for you). Check spelling, grammar, layout, coherence, sentence and paragraph structure, and logical flow of argument.

NGO - the NGO point of view, a view from a grass roots, non-governmental organization

perspective, or from an environmental perspective allows you to be an advocate from the start. However, from the point of view of the population that you represent, you must still describe and analyze the issue, thereby presenting at least two perspectives on the issue.

Guidelines for Critical Analysis in the Final Paper:

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Students will divide the labor of their final project among group members. However, all students

should help conceptualize and design the project, provide feedback to the other members of their group on their work for the project, and contribute to the final write-up and final edit.

A critical examination of the policy issue you select iaims to describe and analyze a particularly interesting set of circumstances, from which lessons can be drawn for the key organization/sector/industry, its stakeholders and more generally the society. It uses rigorous methodologically sound evidence and conceptual framework/models to develop and support the analysis and the recommendations offered.

It is important to include the point of view of all relevant stakeholders, and whether you advocate a government policy or market solution, or a grass roots/local solution or some mix of both. You must clearly articulate your position on the issue and the methods you advocate to resolve the issue. Proofread your work (or have someone do it for you). Check spelling, grammar, layout, coherence, sentence and paragraph structure, and logical flow of argument.

A more specific set of paper guidelines will be posted on Blackboard.

Paper I (15%)

Paper I is a 4 page paper that will introduce your topic and include an outline for each team

member’s section that discusses an aspect of this topic. More detail will be provided in class. Prior to this, your team will be asked to submit a research question that I will approve. Once

the team has an approved research question and sub-questions, the team may begin research, conceptualizing the paper and writing the outline. You will include a bibliography for each member’s section.

Paper II (25%)

Paper 2 is your final integrated paper, including a background discussion of the topic and the sections/aspects of the issue that each individual worked on. That is, who are the stakeholders, does the issue involve legislation, a PR campaign, a marketing strategy? This is the fun part. As a team you decide how you wish to present the topic and just which aspect of the issue you wish to focus upon.

You may use web references for the paper if they are from the US government, well know magazines, journals and newspapers, international NGO’s (United Nations, European Union, etc.), or a website related specifically to the topic area. . For example, you may download a NYT article from the web, but you should cite it as follows: Name of author, “Title of article,” in New York Times, date.) Please do not use Wikipedia or other non-standardized websites for your research.

Paper II Team Presentation (10%) Each team has 15 minutes to present the policy issue they have researched and 5 minutes

for a Q&As session from the floor. The other students must ask questions to those presenting. This is part of the participation assessment. You are not required to use power

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point, however, you must provide a brief background of your topic, the questions you researched and your findings. As a team, also present the position you have taken on this policy or problem. Presentations will take place during the final days of class. Attendance is required.

Due Dates and Submission Requirements

Paper I is due on April 1, 2015 in class

Paper II is due on May 12, 2015, in class

The papers should be double-spaced, Times New Roman font size 15 (or similar), with 1” margins, and prepared in Microsoft Word or other software that can be read by Word.

Class Schedule

Week starting

Readings Activities and Deliverables

27 Jan 15

Introduction to Course http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/speci

als/sitewide-redesign/ngm-7billion.html

Students introduce themselves U-Tube National Geographic Assign: Sign up NYT or other Read NYT: Let’s Address the State of Food

3 Feb 15

5 Feb15

Chapter 1: The Business Environment Define Globalization and other trends NYT Op-Ed: Let’s Address the State of Food (BB) Chapter 1: The Business Environment

Lecture and Discussion Discuss Assigned: NYT Op-Ed: Advice from Grandma (BB)

10 Feb 15

Chapter 2: How Markets Work

Lecture and Discussion Film: The Corporation

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12 Feb 15

Chapter 2: Markets (cont) Additional Reading: Corporate Social Responsibility (BB) NYT Op-Ed: Advice from Grandma (BB)

List of Topics for Team Projects made available Assign: Film: #Regeneration (Blackboard Weblinks) Blog #1 #Regeneration Due Midnight Sunday 2/16

17 Feb 15 19 Feb 15

Chapter 3: Government Failure Discussion of #Regeneration Chapter 3: Government Failure

Lecture and Discussion Discuss your generation as depicted, and as a stakeholder In society View Frontline: The Warning www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/warning/view Blog #2 The Warning Due Sunday, 2/22 midnight

24 Feb 15

26 Feb 15

The Corporation & its Stakeholders (BB) Stakeholder Analysis (cont) Team Assignments Discussed How to Write an Outline

Self-enroll in Teams by this date Assignment: Research Question and sub-question Team Meeting Submit Research question by email By Sunday, 3/1 NOON

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3 Mar 15 5 Mar 15

Group Exercise – Global Markets and Out-Sourcing Read: How the U.S. Lost Out on the iPhone http://cn.nytimes.com/article/business/2012/01/22/c00appleone/en/?pagemode=print Time for Team Projects

Group Assignment

10 Mar 15 12 Mar 15

Chapter 7: Business, Interest Groups and Political Influence Issue: Electoral Politics Jon Stewart: Citizens United Chapter 7 (cont.) Issue: Privatization of the Iraq War

Blog #3 Iraq for Sale Due 3/22 midnight

17 Mar 15 19 Mar 15 15

Vacation Week Vacation Week

Lecture and Discussion

24 Mar 15

26 Mar 15

Chapter 8: The Policy Process Issue: Food and Health Care NYT article: Big Food vs Big Insurance http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/10/opinion/10pollan.html?_r=1&

scp=1&sq=Big%20Food%20vs%20Big%20Insurance%20Michael

%20Pollan&st=cse

Chapter 8 (cont)

Lecture and Discussion Paper 1 Due

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31 Mar 15

2 Apr 15

Chapter 10: Macro-Economic Policy NYT article: Warren Buffet Stop Coddling the Super Rich http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/15/opinion/stop-coddling-the-super-rich.html?_

Chapter 10: Macro-economic Policy

7 Apr 15 9 Apr 15

Chapter 11: Stockholder Rights and Corporate Governance Film: Inside Job Chapter 11: Stockholder Rights and Corporate Governance

Blog #4 Inside Job Due 4/12 Midnight

14 Apr 15

16 Apr 15

NO CLASS Use time to meet in groups for Final Paper Group Exercise – Why We are in a New Gilded Age Paul Krugman http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2015/may/08/thomas-piketty-new-gilded-age/

Assignment: Reflection Paper Due April 26 midnight

21 Apr 15

23 Apr 15

Chapter 14 Public Policy and Globalization Issue: US/China Relations Chapter 14 Public Policy and Globalization Issue: US/China Relations

Team Meeting

28 Apr 15 30 Apr 3

Film: Joined at the Hip Presentations

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5 May15

7 May 15

Presentations Presentations

12 May 15

Presentations Wrap up Discussion

Final Paper Due in class